Each year, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s Patrons Ball fundraising gala includes a silent auction of beautiful artwork and jewelry, decorative arts, unique experiences, and often an article or two of clothing. In the unprecedented year of 2020, we have moved the auction online as we keep the health and safety of our supporters top-of-mind.
So although Patrons Ball itself has been cancelled, this portion of our fundraiser carries on. The silent auction offers opportunities to buy a unique gift for a friend or loved one (or yourself!), and offers the Center your thoroughly appreciated support, as all proceeds benefit Center programs and operations.
To take a look at all the offerings in our silent auction, most of which were generously donated for it, visit the Auction Website at www.32auctions.com/PatronsBall2020. Bidding ends at 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 19, 2020.
Below are a few highlights! But please note: the auction is on-going so items that appear on this page may sell at any time. Keep an eye on the auction site to check current bids and availability!
Artwork
- Icy Break-Up by Linda Burwick: View and bid
- Crow Man and Ladies by Kevin Red Star: View and bid
Jewelry
Turquoise earrings and ring, by Artie Yellowhorse 
Turquoise necklace, by Artie Yellowhorse 
Vintage sterling silver and turquoise petit point cuff
- Turquoise earrings and ring by Artie Yellowhorse: View and bid
- Turquoise necklace by Artie Yellowhorse: View and bid
- Vintage sterling silver and turquoise peitit point cuf: View and bid
Fashion and Decorative Arts
Western dress by Manuel 
“Crow Fair” gourd by Janet Hammond
- Western dress by Manuel: View and bid
- Crow Fair gourd by Janet Hammond: View and bid
Talon painting by golden eagle Kateri from our Draper Museum Raptor Experience
Our Draper Museum Raptor Experience staff decided to try talon painting with our golden eagle, Kateri, as an enrichment activity to keep her mentally stimulated. She truly seems to enjoy it! Now you can own one of her authentic works of art.
“Autumn on Sage” painting by Kateri the golden eagle 
“Bountiful Harvest” painting by Kateri the golden eagle
- Autumn on Sage by Kateri the golden eagle: View and bid
- Bountiful Harvest by Kateri the golden eagle: View and bid
Center of the West Experiences
Among the beautiful artwork, jewelry, and decorative arts pieces included in the auction are five custom-designed Experiences with us here at the Center. These each give the winning bidder a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes or enjoy an exclusive experience you won’t find anywhere else. Take a look…
Hand Tooling Leather Workshop for 4 with Master Saddle Maker Keith Seidel
A unique and exclusive opportunity to learn from a renowned master craftsman! Keith Seidel is a rock star in the world of saddle makers, considered one of the masters. In this experience, Keith instructs you on the basics of working with leather, and teaches you how to make a few popular designs using various hand tools. He and his assistants will then work with the members of your party one-on-one to cut a belt, choose and execute a design, and do finish work. After drying overnight, the colored and oiled belts will be ready for pickup the next day, when Keith joins you for a special lunch. The class takes place in the Center’s new Scout Saddle Company’s shop, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., while visitors watch you work.
For the most individual attention, we strongly suggest scheduling your day outside of the summer high season, mid-June to mid-September. All participants must be 18 years of age or older.
Click here to bid
Buy it now price: $5,000
Cowboy Cookin’ for 8: Career Night for Aspiring Chuck Wagon Cooks!
An experience for a party of eight. Four of your group enjoy the opportunity to help “Cooky” Rich Herman prepare dinner the way they did on cattle drives (and the way Rich still does on pack trips). Your kitchen? An authentic chuck wagon and an open fire. Cooky supervises while you build the fire, make and bake the biscuits and cobbler, prepare the beans, and cook steaks to perfection. The other four in the group can watch, or kick back and relax with a glass of wine. After a bit of cleanup, join Cooky around the cookfire to hear how cowboys cooked and ate out on the range. Rich also shares anecdotes about his years feeding hungry guests on pack trips, many starring marauding grizzlies. You’ll come away with authentic chuck wagon recipes and wonderful memories.
A limited number of additional guests can be accommodated for dinner for an additional fee. Your preferred date subject to availability. Cooky says the fire keeps him warm, so you can schedule your experience in fall or spring as well as summer!
Click here to bid
Buy it now price: $2,000
VIP Raptor Experience for up to 8: Eye-to-eye with Some of the Avian World’s Fiercest Predators!
Tour the Center of the West’s raptor mews with Melissa Hill, Assistant Curator for the Draper Museum Raptor Experience, and Brandon Lewis, Raptor Program Assistant. They’ll tell you about raptors in the wild and share the personal history of each bird in our care. Then see a few of the birds “up close and personal” while Melissa and Brandon talk about the special traits and adaptations of each species, as well as the personality traits of our individual birds. Afterward, join Melissa and Brandon for a special lunch (no fowl or dead mice on the menu), where they answer more of your questions.
Your preferred date subject to availability. Group size limited to eight.
Click here to bid
Buy it now price: $2,000
Below-the-Scenes Tour for up to 8: Our Basement is Nothing Like Your Basement!
Have you ever wondered about the mechanical systems necessary to run a complex of five museums which together total more than 130,000 square feet, built in stages over a period of forty years, and housing some of the most important objects of western American heritage??
The Center’s Operating Engineer Phil Anthony leads you through a labyrinth of tunnels, pipes, and mechanical rooms, explaining how he and his crew keep our physical plant functioning, safe, and climate controlled for the 100,000 artifacts under our roof. Phil then tells you what keeps him up at night, and shares some interesting problems that have come up over the many years he’s been looking after the Center (ask him about the Coke can found in a sewer pipe during the Cody Firearms Museum renovation).
Finish off your tour with a lunch fit for a hardworking maintenance staff. Phil can likely be enticed to join you to answer more questions and tell more stories.
Your preferred date subject to availability. Group size limited to eight.
Click here to bid
Buy it now price: $1,000
And there’s more! Click here to view all auction items.
How to bid
Bidding on our silent auction items is easy. Simply navigate to the silent auction online, create an account, and go from there. If you visit the Center of the West in person, you can just scan the QR code on the label you’ll find with each individual item to begin bidding, or select the option to purchase an item at the Buy Now price. Again, bidding ends at 5 p.m. Saturday, September 19, 2020.
We thank you for your support through this online auction
The proceeds from the Patrons Ball silent auction benefit the mission and programs of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. We can’t thank you enough for your support!
For more information or questions, please contact the Development Office at 307-578-4008 or [email protected].
